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THE ARBOR DAY LADY 

He that planteth a tree is a servant of God, 
He provideth a kindness for many generations 
And faces that he hath not seen shall bless 
him. 


—Henry Van Dyke. 



A tree that loolfs at Cod all da)), and lifts her leafy arms to pray . 




























































































































































































































































































































































THE 

ARBOR DAY LAW 

AN APPRECIATION BY 
MARY LOUISE HELLINGS 

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY 
ETHEL I, SCHACHHRER- 



ALBERT WHITMAN (^COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS ' CHICAGO' ILL 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 

Copyright, 1927 
By Albert Whitman & Company 



NEW GIFT TITLES 

FLAG OF OUR HEARTS 

Edited by W. Montgomery Major 

IN OCEAN LAND 

By Emily Paret Atwater 

THE WOODS IN THE HOME 

By Hope Daring 

MERRY CHRISTMAS STORIES 

Edited by W. Montgomery Major 

THE LOOKING GLASS 

By Edna Groff Deihl 


“A JUST RIGHT BOOK’ 
Made in the U. S. A. 


AUG 3177 

©Cl A1004029 



DEDICATED 

To Our Boys and Girls 
of Today-Our 

Men and Women of Tomorrow 








ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 


The Author and Publishers wish to thank the owners of copyrights 
on several of the included poems for their kind permission to use them 
herein. 



Are they not a blessing as Tvell as an ornament? 


8 

























































































































































































































































PREFACE 


With the coming of the first Bluebird I am 
always eager to be standing in the very 
midst of that living gallery, a forest or grove 
of trees which holds my favorite theme: 
When the gray fades into golden sunbeams 
upon the hillside and announce it is dawn; 
when an ecstasy of melody penetrates to 
every part of the grove from the throat of that 
wonderful bird, it is then time to be thinking 
of making a Spring planting of trees. 

Without a coming generation our country 
would face a hopeless future. Just so would 
a country without trees. And since it is a 
national question we should all discuss it with 
great interest, and not as one dealt with as 
encumbrance. It is a pity everyone cannot 
see that there is always something august, 
solemn, noble and pure in the spreading 
branches of every tree. That there is some- 


9 


thing noble, simple and pure in the mind of 
every person who plants trees. It is not like 
planting a block of carved stone or marble— 
they are but the work of a day—but tree 
planting is something one can look upon with 
reverence, as it is the planting of generations. 

Not only is there a grandeur, thoughtful 
deed connecting one with the present day 
who plants trees, but he indelibly stamps his 
character for years to come before posterity 
and shows them with what taste and discrim¬ 
ination he passed his spare hours. I am sure 
they could not help but exult in the thought 
of him and those young trees that now have 
grown to be such lofty and prodigious speci¬ 
mens which has so benefited them with grace 
and shelter. Indeed, can one but help to 
realize the significance of such a deed! 
Deeds in spare moments that rank far above 
mere worldliness! 

One who loves trees and spends his spare 
moments studying their place in the world 
can almost see, so to speak, every little flick¬ 
ering leaf absorbing the noxious particles day 


10 


and night and breathing forth for humanity 
a pure atmosphere. When I become de¬ 
pressed with worldly events, I go straight to 
my trees. Just as they absorb the noxious 
qualities in the air, so they consume my un¬ 
pleasant thoughts and my mind is once more 
capable of producing peaceful and helpful 
problems. 

If one would but observe the crest of a 
tree, no matter how small or mighty it may 
be, one would find it ever looks upward, 
heavenward, glorifying in its glossy shroud 
that is supported by many grateful out¬ 
stretching arms, enduring the stormy days 
with the sunny with perfect equanimity. 

Is this not an emblem of what true man¬ 
hood should be? 

Do trees not stimulate, conserve and dis¬ 
tribute rainfall? 

Do trees not furnish a multiplicity of ma¬ 
terials indispensable to the progress of a 
nation? 

Are they not a blessing as well as an orna¬ 
ment on any land? 


11 


My young friend you will do well to think 
seriously about this matter and when the 
first opportunity comes avail yourself of it 
and plant a tree. 

—Mary Louisa Hellings. 



12 


CONTENTS 


Preface .Page 9 

Go Plant A Tree, Ella Wheeler Wilcox . 17 

Trees, Joyce Kilmer . 19 

One Spring Day. 20 

My Tree. 21 

Small Beginnings. 23 

As Much As These... 24 

I Knew By The Smoke. 24 

An Arbor Day Song. 26 

The Use of Our Forests. 28 

Plant In Springtime. 29 

Evergreens . 32 

“Let Us Keep Some Virgin Wild”. 33 

Nature Poem, Henry David Thoreau . 34 

The Wind of May, Bryant. . 36 

Nursery Beds. 49 

Deciduous Trees. 50 

Our Trees In France. 51 

The Leaves. 52 

The Rain. 54 

Transplanting Trees. 56 

America’s Greatest Asset. 60 

What Do We Plant Henry Abbey . 63 

The Pine, Augusta Webster . 64 


13 


























LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

A Tree That Looks At God All Day.Page 2 

Are They Not A Blessing As Well As An Ornament?. 8 

Planted in Memory of Luther Burbank. 16 

I Knew by the Smoke That so Gracefully Curled. 25 

I Open the Window and Make Salute. 31 

“Ah, Bare Must be the Shadeless Ways”. 35 

Plate I . 37 

Plate II . 39 

Plate III . 41 

Plate IV . 43 

Plate V . 45 

Plate VI . 47 

How Friendly the Pine Is. 55 

America’s Greatest Asset. 59 

And I Shall Bless my Destiny. 61 


14 

















THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


The chronicle that memory keeps 
Of what befell 
In those same days, 

Would sometimes lead us back by shadowed 
ways 

Where sorrow sleeps; 

But this little book is wiser and its pages tell 
How all was well. 


15 



Planted in memory of Luther Burbank by the American Reforestation Association, 
Los Angeles, California, 


16 






















































THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


GO PLANT A TREE 

God, what a joy it is to plant a tree, 

And from the fallow earth to watch it rise, 
Lifting its emerald branches to the skies 
In silent adoration; and to see 

Its strength and glory waxing with each 
Spring; 

Yes, tis a goodly and gladsome thing, 

To plant a tree. 

Nature has many marvels; but a tree 

Seems more than marvelous. It is divine, 
So generous, so tender, so benign, 

Not garrulous, like the rivers; and yet free 
In pleasant converse with the winds and 
birds; 

Oh! privilege beyond explaining words, 
To plant a tree. 


17 


18 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


Rocks are majestic; but unlike a tree, 

They stand aloof and silent. In the roar 
Of ocean billows breaking on the shore 

There sounds the voice of turmoil. But a tree 
Speaks ever of companionship and rest 
Yes, of all righteous acts, this, this is the 
best, 

To plant a tree. 

There is an oak (oh, how I love that tree!) 
Which has been thriving for a hundred 
years; 

Each day I send my blessings through the 
spheres 

To one who gave this triple boon to me 

Of growing beauty, singing birds, and 
shade, 

Woulds’t thou win laurels that shall never 
fade? 

Go plant a tree. 


—Ella Wheeler Wilcox. 




THE ARDOR DAY LADY 


19 


TREES 

I think that I shall never see 
A poem lovely as a tree. 

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest 
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; 

A tree that looks to God all day 
And lifts her leafy arms to pray; 

A tree that may in summer wear 
A nest of robins in her hair; 

Upon whose bosom snow has lain; 
Who intimately lives with rain. 

Poems are made by fools like me, 

But only God can make a tree. 

—Joyce Kilmer. 




20 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


ONE SPRING DAY 

A tiny shoot peeped out of the ground 
And opened wide as it gazed around; 

Stretching its dainty leaflets bright 
Up—up—up to the sweet sunlight; 

Reaching sideways, that way—this— 

To catch the earliest zephyr’s kiss; 

Climbing higher in balmy air 
To meet the raindrops glistening there; 

Spreading its wavy branches wide 
Till song birds came their nest to hide, 

And children gather in joyous glee 
In the shade of the old oak tree. 

All because a hand, they say, 

That planted a seed one spring day. 




THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


21 


“MY TREE 

The greenest, leafiest, prettiest tree 
My Father planted that day for me, 

And said it should be my very own 

While it was little and when it was grown. 

1 helped him plant it. He let me stand 
And hold it tightly with my hand. 

Then—how the sun came out to shine 
Warm and bright on that tree of mine; 

And pattering, pattering, in the night, 

Dear little raindrops, soft and light. 

And every zephyr that came that way 
Stopped a moment to laugh and play. 

That isn’t all. A little bird 

Came hopping one day—she must have 
heard 

That never anywhere could be found, 
Hunting the woods and groves around, 

So beautiful, straight and fine a tree 
As that one Father set out for me. 




22 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


She built the tiniest, cunning nest, 

Fit for a birdlings sweetest rest, 
And now if you listen you will hear, 
Trilling, twittering loud and clear, 
Bird-songs, merry and sweet and gay 
Gladdening all the summer day. 


“How friendly the pine is to man—so 
docile and available as timber, so warm and 
protective as shelter! Its balsam is salve to 
his wounds, its fragrance is long life to his 
nostrils; an abiding, perennial tree, tempering 
the climate, cool as murmuring waters in 
summer and like a wrapping of fur in 
winter.” 

—John Burroughs. 





THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


23 


“SMALL BEGINNINGS.” 

A traveler through a dusty road 
Strewed acorns on the lea; 

And one took root and sprouted up, 

And grew into a tree. 

Love sought its shade, at evening, to 
Breathe its early vows; 

And age was pleased, in heat of noon, 

To bask beneath its bows. 

The dormouse loved its dangling 
Twigs, the birds sweet bore; 

It stood a glory in its place, a blessing ever¬ 
more. 


Take the advantage of every occasion for 
planting trees. 





24 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


AS MUCH AS THESE 

And were we out of doors as much as these 
Insistent glimpses show? 

It seems as if we never had to go 
Inside the house at all, 

But, scorning roof and wall, 

Just pitched our lives beneath the blessed 
trees. 


I KNEW BY THE SMOKE 

“I knew by the smoke that so gracefully 
curled 

Above the green elms, that a cottage was 
near; 

And I said, ‘If there’s peace to be found in this 
world, 

A heart that was humble might look for it 
here.’ ” 










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25 










































































































































26 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


AN ARBOR DAY SONG 

Sung to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne.” 

For the Girls: 

The winter storms have passed away, 
And Springtime now is here, 

With sunshine smiling all around 
And heavens blue and clear. 

The gifts of Nature brighten earth 
And make her garden gay; 

They give a cheery greeting bright, 

On this, the Arbor Day. 

The birds with gladsome voices sing 
Each its melodious lay, 

And music swells each little throat 
On this, the Arbor Day. 

The trees put forth their greenest leaves. 
On this, the Arbor Day, 

And welcome now the chosen tree 
Which we shall plant to-day. 




THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


27 


For the Boys: 

You think you all have chosen well, 

And so do I, but then I guess 
I like my choice, I must say best, 

And you would think so, too, unless 
For beauties true you have no care, 

Now I select an elm; that old 
Historic tree, whose beauty and renown 
In song and prose is ever told. 

This tiny seed I plant to-day, 

Will sometime make a tall, fine tree, 
With graceful, drooping boughs to shade 
The boys and girls that know not me. 

For Both: 

These seeds are small, but great results 
From small beginnings grow, 

How careful then we all should be 
To plant as teachers show, 

Good seeds of thought to make us wise, 
And live the life that never dies. 




28 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


THE USE OF OUR FORESTS 

The service of trees to us begins in our 
infancy and ends with our lives. Its extent 
and value cannot be estimated. Your house, 
the comforts within it are only a few of the 
countless products from trees. The fuel that 
warms us, even if it be coal, is the mineralized 
wood of ages. Wherever the eye falls, it 
sees the beneficent service of trees. Arbor 
Day recalls this direct service of trees on 
every hand, and reminds us of the indirect 
ministry of trees as guardians of the sources 
of rivers — the great forests making the 
densely shaded hills, covered with the ac¬ 
cumulating leaves of ages. To cut these 
forests recklessly is to dry up the streams 
leading to rivers. Forests play a great part 
in affecting the climate of a country. They 
prevent extremes of hot or cold, and the sud¬ 
den changes in weather. 




THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


29 


PLANT IN SPRINGTIME 

Plant in the springtime the beautiful trees, 

So that in future each soft summer breeze, 

Whispering through tree-tops may call to our 
mind, 

Days of our childhood then left far behind. 

Days when we learned to be faithful and 
true; 

Days when we yearned our life’s future in 
view; 

Days when the good seemed so easy to do; 

Days when life’s cares were so light and so 
few. 

Oft in the present are we made to know 

What was done for us in years long ago, 

•How others sowed in the vast fields of 
thought, 

And, to us, harvest from their work is 
brought 




30 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


And, as we read, in some tree’s Welcome 
shade, 

Of the works of earth’s wise men, which 
never can fade, 

Thanks would we waft on th$ soft summer 
breeze, 

Both to planters of thoughts and to planters 
of trees. 

Then should we think, in our heritage grand, 

We, too, belong to that glorious band, 

Who in word or in thought, or in deed some¬ 
thing do 

To advance this old world somewhat on to 
the new. 

As in the past men did plant for to-day, 

So will we plant in this beautiful May, 

Trees that in future shall others shade cool, 

Thoughts that shall ripen for earth’s future 
school. 


—Anonymous. 




THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


31 



I open the window and make salute: 

“God bless thy branches and feed thy root! 
Thou hast lived before, live after me, 

Thou ancient, friendly, faithful tree.” 

—Henry Van Dyke. 











32 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


EVERGREENS 

In this group of trees there contains some 
of the most valuable for specimen or land¬ 
scape planting. Only one familiar with them 
can have an adequate idea of the variety of 
color effects they present. There are deepest 
and lightest greens, bright and sombre golden 
tints, and soft steel-grays and blues. 

When most plant life is sleeping in the 
winter, evergreens endeavor to cheer us up, 
and indeed, it is then they are unexcelled. 
Their bright, warm foliage is certainly a wel¬ 
come. The odor they distill on damp morn¬ 
ings is intoxicating; and they present a picture 
of indescribable beauty when the branches 
are heavily laden with snow, with here and 
there the deep green needles peeping through. 

They are most fitting for planting in 
memory of those we wish to remember. 
When I planted an American Hemlock in 
honor of the Living Heroes of the World 
War I closed my message with the following: 




THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


33 


“This memorial tree is clothed in the 
finest of human sentiment. In its ever-re¬ 
newing growth it stands forth as a thing alive! 
A simple symbol to keep forever green, the 
memory of those in whose honor it is planted. 
For to-day and for generations yet unborn, 
this message of a memorial tree is my mes¬ 
sage of life to them!” 

Just so with those we love who live with 
us no more, evergreens are a lasting monu¬ 
ment of green and living shaft and not the 
cold polished cenotaph of marble. 


“LET US KEEP SOME VIRGIN WILD” 

“Let us keep some virgin wild 
Where lakes to silence given 
Reflect the sun and moon and stars 
In beauty back to heaven— 

That you may walk, as others have walked, 
Upon the moss-grown sod, 

And view in unspoiled sylvan ways 
The handiwork of God!” 





34 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


NATURE POEM 

In some withdrawn, unpublic mead, 

Let me sigh upon a reed, 

Or in the woods, with leafy din, 
JWhisper the still evening in: 

Some still work give me to do,— 
Only—be it near to you! 

For I’d rather be thy child 
And pupil, in the forest wild, 

Then to be the king of men elsewhere, 
And most sovereign slave of care; 

To have one moment of thy dawn, 
Than share the city’s year forlorn. 

—Henry David Thoreau. 


“Ah, bare must be the shadeless ways, and 
bleak the path must be, 

Of him who, having open eyes, has never 
learned to see, 

And so has never learned to love the beauty 
of a tree.’’ 






"Ah, hare musl he the shadeless n>a\?s and blea\ the path must he." 


35 



























36 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


THE WIND OF MAY 

The Wind of May 
Is sweet with breath of orchards, in whose 
boughs 

The bees and every insect of the air 
Make a perpetual murmur of delight. 

And by whose flowers the humming-bird 
hangs poised 

In air, and draws their sweets, and darts 
away. 

The Linden, in the fervors of July, 

Hums with a louder concert. When the wind 
Sweeps the broad forest in its summer prime, 
As when some great organ, ye give forth 
The music of the woodland depths, a hymn 
Of gladness and of thanks. 

—Bryant. 


With every occasion make it an occasion 
to plant a tree. 






37 




























39 






























41 

























































45 































47 

























































THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


49 


NURSERY BEDS 

All school teachers should arrange for 
their boys and girls to have a reserve corner 
of the grounds for a nursery bed—in which 
to plant tree seedlings and study their 
growth. 

When these have grown beyond the 
bounds of the bed, they should be given the 
graduating students that they may plant them 
upon this occasion. 

Those that do very well are beech, maple, 
oak, pine and shagbark. 

In large cities a town forest should be pro¬ 
vided, a tract of land, wherein all the schools 
may gather together and contribute each 
year. 

Trees and birds are interdependent. 
Birds feed upon the destructive insects which 
pray upon the leaves. Many birds devote 
their time going up and down the trunks of 
trees, getting many destructive bores and 
eggs having been laid in the crevices. 





50 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


DECIDUOUS TREES. 

This large collection of trees are gener¬ 
ally thought of as shade trees. Among the 
added features are ornamental, screening and 
flowering varieties. Many have gorgeous 
autumnal foliage colors, while others produce 
exquisite flowers at different times during the 
Spring and Summer months; while still others 
adorn themselves with brilliant autumnal 
berries and various colored barks. 

To deny yourself of this variety of trees 
is to miss one of the richest possessions 
offered by Mother Earth. 








THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


51 


OUR TREES IN FRANCE 

(In memory of our Boys) 

‘"For those who perished overseas, 

Our glorious host that lies 
In France, let hosts of living trees 
Gloriously arise; 

Rise where charred limbs of older trees, 
Flung mute against the sky, 

To countless wanton cruelties 
In silence testify.” 


Of our swift passage through this scenery 
Of life—more durable than we, 

What landmark so congenial as a tree, 
Repeating its green legend every Spring, 
And, with a yearly ring, 

Recording the fair seasons as they flee, 

Type of our brief but still—renewed mor¬ 
tality? 


—Lowell. 





52 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


THE LEAVES. 

I often thought if our lives could be 
So important a thing as the leaves of a tree 
We could connect two wonderful leas;— 

The leaves are God’s lowly folks shining aloft 
all day 

Above where many little creatures play, 

Or cast their shadows on the heaving breast 

Of weary countrymen while they rest; 

They brave with bending, willing forms 

The many furious, beating storms, 

Until winds again have calmed and dark 
clouds blown o’er 

They smile and flicker with delight once 
more; 




THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


53 


Who asks for so little from earth or sky 

As the leaves we never hear sigh? 

Their gentle askings are mingled sweet re¬ 
frain 

We hear for the crystal drops of rain; 

Until Autumn, enrobed in all her glory is 
here, 

And winds chill the air and grass become sere, 

Gracefully, timely they let go, 

Drifting far and wide before sleeping beneath 
the snow. 





54 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


THE RAIN 

I hear leaves drinking rain; 

I hear rich leaves on top 
Giving the poor beneath 
Drop after drop; 

Tis a sweet noise to hear 
These green leaves drinking near 

And when the Sun comes out. 
After this rain shall stop, 

A wondrous light will fill 
Each dark, round drop; 

I hope the sun shines bright; 

Twill be a lovely sight. 


“Every pine and fir and hemlock 
Wore ermine too dear for an earl, 
And the poorest twig on the elm tree 
Was fringed inch-deep with pearl.” 





THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


55 


How friendly the pine is to man — so 
docile and available as timber, so warm and 
protective as shelter! Its balsam is salve to 
his wounds, its fragrance is long life to his 
nostrils; an abiding, perennial tree, temper¬ 
ing the climate, cool as murmuring waters 
in summer and like a wrapping of fur in the 

winter - —John Burroughs. 









56 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


TRANSPLANTING TREES 

The transplanting of trees is certainly a 
critical event for them and in which many 
lose their lives because the planter had not 
sufficient knowledge. 

One can feel reasonably sure of a success¬ 
ful planting by following a few necessary 
precautions. 

1— Dig a hole large enough that the roots 
may be spread out naturally. 

2— Dig a hole larger in circumference at the 
bottom than at the top to prevent water 
from being held about the roots. 

3— When taking up the tree which you are 
going to transplant, get as much fibrous 
root system as possible. 

4— Endeavor to get a ball of earth with it 
that these roots may not be exposed to 
the air. 

5— The taper and bracing roots should be 
trimmed smooth and slanting just before 
planting. 




THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


57 


6— Plant the tree the same depth as it was 
before. 

7— Enriched, fine soil must be sifted about 
the roots. 

8— Hold the trunk erect and firm. 

9— After filling half-full, fill the hole up 
with water. When it has settled com¬ 
pletely away, proceed by filling the hole 
up with soil, leaving this loose and un¬ 
watered. 

10—If a tree is large and out of proportion 
to the root system you got, prune back 
a quarter or even half of the previous 
year’s growth if necessary. 

1 1—Never cut the leader or central stem of 
any tree. 

1 2—Large trees should be staked or braced, 
taking care that in doing so the trunk is 
not chafed. Run the wires through hose 
or protect by thickness of burlap. 

1 3—Leave a cultivated area of from 3 to 5 
feet in diameter about the tree, covering 




58 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


this from time to time with well rotted 
compost or a mulch of leaves and lawn 
clippings. Keep the soil loose. 

14—Thorough soakings are frequently neces¬ 
sary if the season is lacking in sufficient 
rainfall. Dilute liquid from cow ma¬ 
nure to one-half of water, soaking once 
a month during the growing season until 
established for the average tree. By 
“average” I mean a tree eight feet tall. 


“Tall, somber, grim, they stand with dusky 
gleams, 

Brightening to gold within the woodland’s 
core 

Beneath the gracious noontide’s tranquil 
beams 

The weird winds of morning sigh no more.” 





Americas Greatest Asset — Trees. 



























































































































































































































60 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


AMERICA’S GREATEST ASSET 

The Youth of America must turn their 
undivided attention to the rehabilitation of 
her forest lands which here-to-fore has con¬ 
tributed so generously to the health, wealth 
and prosperity of our nation. 

Each one should, in turn, endeavor to 
encourage those about them to strive their 
utmost to save for the nation and posterity 
America’s greatest asset—TREES. 

AN AMERICAN ELM tree was planted 
in the Stacy Park, Trenton, New Jersey, 
April seventh, 1926, in honor of the two 
hundredth anniversary of the birth of George 
Washington and in memory of the Washing¬ 
ton Elm at Cambridge, Mass. 

The plans for this marking were put 
under way by President Coolidge and mem¬ 
bers of the American Tree Association, 
Washington, D. C., were called upon through¬ 
out the country to carry out the plans, that 
schools, young people’s clubs and women’s 
organizations may have a rallying point for 
their observant exercises in 1932. 




THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


61 



And I shall ever bless my destiny, 

That in a time, when under pleasant trees 
Pan is no longer sought, I feel a free, 

A leafy luxury. 

—John Keats. 














62 


THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


As Trenton is one of the most historic 
cities, the tree could not have been planted 
in a more appropriate place. It is planned 
that when the two hundredth anniversary is 
celebrated, New Jersey’s official exercises 
shall be held at this tree. 

Miss Hellings, a member of this Associa¬ 
tion, carried out the plans for this planting, 
and adds a note in behalf of the tree: 

Personally I am glad the Washington 
Memorial Tree was to be an Elm, as it is 
one of the most distinctive native trees of 
America, either in Winter or in Summer. 
The American Elm has a precise, symmet¬ 
rical outline which no other tree can claim; 
first, the limbs separate from the trunk which 
in like fashion the branches separate from the 
limbs, and these again separate into smaller 
ones until they terminate into mere twigs. It 
is this grace in maturity that makes the elm 
so beautifully conspicuous even when lacking 
of its summer dress. Its outline against the 
far-reaching landscape is in truth the greatest 
poem ever expressed—and without words. 




THE ARBOR DAY LADY 


63 


WHAT DO WE PLANT? 

What do we plant when we plant the tree? 
We plant the ship which will cross the sea. 
We plant the mast to carry the sails; 

We plant the planks to withstand the gales— 
The keel, the keelson, the beam, the knee; 
We plant the ship when we plant tree. 

What do we plant when we plant the tree? 
We plant the houses for you and me. 

We plant the rafters, the shingles, the floors, 
We plant the studding, the lath, the doors, 
The beams and siding, all parts that be; 

We plant the house when we plant the tree. 

What do we plant when we plant the tree? 
A thousand things that we daily see; 

We plant the spire that out-towers the crag, 
We plant the staff for our country’s flag. 
We plant the shade, from the hot sun free; 
We plant all these when we plant the tree. 

—Henry Abbey. 




64 


THE ARDOR DAY LADY 


THE PINE 

The elm lets fall its leaves before the frost, 
The very oak grows shivering and sere, 

The trees are barren when the summer’s lost: 
But one tree keeps its goodness all the year. 
Green pine, unchanging as the days go by, 
Thou art thyself beneath whatever sky; 

My shelter from all winds, my own strong 
pine, 

’Tis spring, ’tis summer, still, while thou art 
mine. 

—Augusta Webster. 































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